Hi I have been pos for 6 yrs. My cd4's are 375 and my vl is currently 25000. I want to start meds soon and was wondering how long they last. When your first regimen falls how many more options should you have? Why are people still dying of aids today? Is it ignorance or the problems i read about resistance and running out of treatment options. My husband is negative and i really want to grow old with him, not 80 but 60 would be fine with me, i am 24 now. Do you think with medical advancements i have a chance? Will the new meds coming out extend life expectancy? Sorry for the abundance of questions i just think i am confused about how to look at my future.

Response from Dr. Henry

I tell my patients starting HIV therapy that I expect most of them to celebrate my retirement in 15 or so years. I am confident that in the setting of motivated patients, skilled HIV care, and access to all available HIV Meds that patients increasingly will be surviving for decades. Effective treatment has been available for 8 years-I have patients who have done well since then with no end in sight. We can't predict the future but I am optimistic. Problems develop or exisit for those with drug resistance, intolerance to medications, or an inability to take medications without missing doses-those issues remain major challenges for us. KH

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.